Old/New Testament
Eliphaz: God Blesses those who Seek Him
5 “Cry out, won’t you!
Is there anyone who will answer you?
To whom will you turn among the holy ones?
2 For wrath will slay a fool;
zealous anger will kill the naïve.
3 “I myself saw a fool becoming established,
but I suddenly cursed where he lived.[a]
4 His children are far from deliverance;
they’ll be maltreated before they leave home,[b]
with no one to rescue them.
5 Then the hungry will devour his harvest,
snatching it even from the midst of thorns,
while the thirsty covet their wealth.
6 For wickedness doesn’t crop up from dust,
nor does trouble sprout out of the ground;
7 But mankind is born headed for trouble,
just as sparks soar skyward.”
God Can be Trusted in Adversity
8 “Now as for me, I would seek God if I were you;[c]
I would commit my case to God.
9 He is always doing great things that cannot be explained,
countless awesome deeds.
10 He sends rain on the surface of the earth,
and waters the surface of the open country.
11 He sets the lowly on high,
and lifts those who mourn to safety.[d]
12 He frustrates the plans of the crafty;
so that what they work for never succeeds.
13 He captures the wise in their own craftiness,
bringing a quick end to their cunning advice.
14 They meet with darkness in broad daylight;
at noonday they grope around as if it were night.
15 So he delivers from the sword of their mouth—
the poor from the power[e] of the mighty.
16 Therefore there is hope for those who are poor,
and iniquity shuts its mouth.
17 “Indeed, how blessed is the person whom God reproves!
So never disrespect the discipline of the Almighty,
18 because though he wounds, but then applies bandages;
though he strikes, his hands still heal.
19 “He will deliver you through six calamities;
and calamity won’t touch you throughout the seventh.
20 He will deliver you from death by famine;
in war from the power[f] of the sword.
21 You’ll be protected from the accusing[g] tongue;
you need not fear destruction when it heads your way.
22 You’ll laugh at destruction and famine;
and you need not fear the beasts of the earth.
23 For you’ll have a pact[h] with the stones in the field;
and the beasts of the field will be at peace with you.
24 You’ll know that your home[i] is secure;
when you search your possessions, and nothing will be missing.
25 You’ll know that you’ll have many children;
and that your offspring will be like the grass of the earth.
26 You’ll go to your grave at a ripe old age;
like a stack of grain that’s harvested at just the right time.
27 “Look! We have thought all this through,
and what we’ve said is true;[j]
So please listen and learn for your own good!”
Job’s Suffering is Grave
6 In rebuttal, Job replied:
2 “If only my grief could be weighed;
or my calamity piled together on a balance scale!
3 It would weigh more than the sand on the seashore![k]
Here’s why I’ve talked so rashly:
4 “The arrows of the Almighty have pierced me;
my spirit absorbs[l] their poison;[m]
God’s terrors have been arranged just for me!
5 “Will the wild donkey bray from hunger[n] if fresh grass is beside him?
Will the ox low from distress[o] if it is near its feed?
6 Tasteless food isn’t eaten without salt, is it?
Is there any taste in an egg white?
7 I cannot bring myself to touch them;[p]
food like this makes me sick.”
Job Desires Death
8 “Who will grant my wish?[q]
I wish God would grant what I’m hoping for:
9 that God would just be willing[r] to crush me;
that he would let loose[s] and eliminate me!
10 At least I could still take comfort
and rejoice in unceasing anguish,
for I didn’t conceal what the Holy One has to say.
11 “Do I have the strength to wait?
And why[t] should I be patient?
12 Am I as strong as a rock?
Am I some kind of iron man?[u]
13 There is no help within me, is there?
My resources have been driven away from me, haven’t they?
Job Accuses His Friends of Treachery
14 The friend shows gracious love for his friend,
even if he has forsaken the fear of the Almighty.
15 But my brothers have acted treacherously like a cascading river,
like torrential rivers that overflow.
16 Filled with waters made cold[v] by ice,
they are where the snow goes to hide.
17 But then the snow melts, and they disappear;
when warmed, they evaporate from their stream beds.[w]
18 Travelers divert[x] in their route;
they go into a wasteland and die.
19 Travelers from Tema search intently;
caravans from Sheba hope to find them.
20 For all their expectations, they are doomed to disappointment;
even though they have come and searched this far.
21 “And now you’re all just like them, aren’t you?[y]
You see my terror and are terrified.
22 When did I ever ask you for anything,
say ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth?’
23 or say ‘Deliver me from my enemy’s control,’[z]
or ‘Redeem me from the domination[aa] of ruthless people’?”
Job Requests Mercy from His Friends
24 “Instruct me, and I’ll remain silent.
Help me understand where I’ve gone astray.
25 The truth[ab] can be painful,
but what has your argument proven?
26 Did you intend your words to reprove,
even though the speech of a desperate person is just wind?
27 Indeed, you would gamble to buy an orphan;
and barter to buy your friend!
28 Now be willing to face me,
and I won’t lie to your face.
29 Repent! Let there be no injustice;
Change your ways![ac] My vindication[ad] is at stake.
30 Have I said anything that’s unjust?
I can discern[ae] evil, can’t I?”
Job Acknowledges the Brevity of Life
7 “Men have harsh servitude on earth, do they not?
His days are like those of a hired laborer, are they not?[af]
2 I’m like a servant who longs for the shade,
like a hired laborer who is looking for his wages.
3 Truly I’ve been allotted months of emptiness;
nights of trouble have been appointed for me.
4 “When I lie down I ask,
‘When will I wake up?’
But the night continues
and I keep tossing and turning until dawn.[ag]
5 My skin[ah] is covered with worms and clods of dirt;
my skin becomes rough and then breaks out afresh.
6 My days pass as swiftly as a hand-loom;
they come to their conclusion without hope.
7 Remember that my life is a breath;
my eyes won’t go back to seeing good things.[ai]
8 The eyes of the one who sees me won’t see me anymore;
your eyes will look[aj] for me
but I won’t be around![ak]
9 As a cloud fades away and vanishes,
the one who descends to the afterlife[al] doesn’t return.[am]
10 He doesn’t return again to his house,
and his place won’t recognize him anymore.”
Job Intends to Complain
11 “In addition, I won’t keep my opinion[an] to myself;
I’ll speak from my distressed spirit;
I’ll complain with my bitter soul.
12 Am I the sea, or a sea monster,
that you keep watching me?
13 For I’ve said, ‘My bed will comfort me;
my couch will ease my burdens[ao] while I complain.’
14 But then you scared me with dreams;
you terrified me with visions.
15 I would rather die by strangulation
than continue living.[ap]
16 I hate the thought of living forever!
Leave me alone, because my days are pointless.”
Job Acknowledges Humankind’s Insignificance
17 “What is a human being, that you make so much of him;
that you set your affections on him,
18 visit him every morning,
and test him continually?
19 Why won’t you look away from me?
Why don’t you leave me alone so I can swallow my saliva?
20 So what if I sin? What have I done against you,
you observer of humankind?
Why have you made me your target?
Why burden yourself with me?
21 Why haven’t you pardoned my transgression
and taken away my iniquity?
Now I’m about to lie down in the dust.
You will seek me diligently,
but I won’t be around!”[aq]
The Church is Scattered
8 Now Saul heartily approved of putting Stephen[a] to death. That day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and everyone except for the apostles was scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria. 2 Devout men buried Stephen as they mourned loudly for him. 3 But Saul kept trying to destroy the church. Going into one house after another, he began dragging off men and women and throwing them in prison.
Some Samaritans Become Believers
4 Now those who were scattered went from place to place preaching the word. 5 Philip went down to the[b] city of Samaria and began to preach the Messiah[c] to the people.[d] 6 The crowds, hearing his message[e] and seeing the signs that he was doing, paid close attention to what was said by Philip. 7 Unclean spirits screamed with a loud voice as they came out of the many people they had possessed, and many paralyzed and lame people were healed. 8 As a result, there was great rejoicing in that city.
9 Now in that city there was a man named Simon. He was practicing occult arts and thrilling the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great. 10 Everyone from the least to the greatest paid close attention to him, saying, “This is what we call[f] the great power of God!” 11 They paid careful attention to him because he had thrilled them for a long time with his occult performances. 12 But when Philip proclaimed the good news about the kingdom of God and about the name of Jesus the Messiah,[g] men and women believed and were baptized. 13 Even Simon believed, and after he was baptized he became devoted to Philip. He was amazed to see the signs and great miracles that were happening.
14 Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaritans had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 They went down and prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit. 16 Before this, he had not come on any of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John[h] laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me this power too, so that when I lay my hands on someone, he will receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 But Peter told him, “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God’s free gift with money! 21 You have no part or share in what we’re saying, because your heart isn’t right with God. 22 So repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, your heart’s intent may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you’re being poisoned by bitterness and you’re a prisoner of wickedness!”
24 Simon answered, “Both of you pray[i] to the Lord for me that none of the things you have said will happen to me.”
25 After they had given their testimony and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, continuing to proclaim the good news in many Samaritan villages.
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